"Most women (two-thirds) thought it was best to wait for labor to begin on its own if the pregnancy was healthy, but almost eight out of ten women (79%) also incorrectly identified “early term” or “pre-term” weeks of pregnancy as “safe” for delivery. The timing these women most identified is associated with increased risks of harm for babies."

This is why March of Dimes is highly active in preventing unnecessary cesareans. Induction is the beginning of a cascade of interventions that can lead to a cesarean and premature delivery.

Two-thirds (67%) of all mothers agreed with the statement “if a pregnancy is healthy it is best to wait for labor to begin on its own rather than inducing it or scheduling a cesarean.” But a substantial number of the 40% of women who said that their care providers tried to induce their labors were induced for non-medical reasons. Some non-medically indicated reasons cited were things like convenience, reaching the estimated “due date,” wanting to end the pregnancy, and the care provider suspecting a “big baby.”